King of Fighters Ranma Edition
by Awase
Summary: A multiauthor story. Ranma's ronin days aren't going very well till he's offered a spot in one of the top fighters tournaments.


This is a story being worked on by me and Zero for our rpg group.

Chapter 1

The crowd cheered as another man fell. It seemed that house favorite was racking up another impressive winning streak.

On the sidelines, a man wearing a dark suit and sunglasses watched, and cocked an eyebrow before reaching into his pocket for a cell phone.

"And the winner by a knock out, Ranma!" the announcer called out.

The man tapped the speed dial. He waited for some time, knowing that he would get an answer, but in due time. Finally, there was a click. 

"Sir, I've found a new one...Yes, I understand...wait until the outcome...and then make myself known...Thank you sir." He put the cell phone away.

Ranma let his arm drop from the announcers grip. Sure he'd won, but it seemed as if he'd spend his entire life moving from one battle to another.

As he stood by the ring and contemplated his future, the man in the suit approached him from the side.

"Nice fight...Ranma, was it?" he remarked coolly, a small grin on his face.

"Yeah, what's it too ya?" he casually asked, not thinking about how rude it might have sounded

"Well, I represent an...interested party. He's holding a martial arts tournament within the next month...and he'd like you to participate..." the man continues, used to this kind of attitude from his boss' men and their associates.

"A tournament. Well no offence buddy, but we're currently at a tournament. What's your boss going to offer me over this?"

"It's known as the King of Fighters...It is THE tournament, where only the BEST of offered the chance to participate...and the prize money makes this look like mere pocket change," he grinned, removing his sunglasses to wipe them off before putting them back on.

"Really..." Ranma stopped and pondered what it could mean for him. An end to wandering. A chance to do something with his life besides beat people up. "Sounds good. I'm in. Where's it going to be held?"

"Southtown, in America. There, the fights are hard, and the rewards outweigh everything. My employer is not only the man who runs it, but he was also the champion many years running before he...'retired'..." the man in the suit smiled.

"Damn. I don't suppose your boss can work miracles?"

"No...not personally...but he has his ways...especially when it comes to mystic arts and the like..." the man says vaguely, making a twirling gesture with his hand.

"Well I'm a ronin. I have no means to apply for a passport and there for I can't leave the country."

"Heh..like I said...he has his ways...he had a special one made for you...it's only good this once...but considering your status...once is all you really need, isn't it?" the man is still cool, composed, as he pulls out a passport. It is indeed Ranma's, made out by order of 'GH.'

"Interesting. Makes me wonder how long you've been watching. Well, I'll be ready leave once the second half of the tournament is over."

"I see...well, I need to make a phone call, and take a little 'pit-stop' anyway...so have fun watching," he grinned, as he handed the passport to Ranma and headed off in the direction of the restrooms.

As the man vanished from sight, Ranma took off to his secret location where he kept a stash of cold water. With a quick splash, his body changed and she was ready.

Another hour later, Ranma-chan stepped down from the ring, once again the winner of both gender classes with a nice chunk of change to keep her happy for a while. She ducked out of sight and was back a her stash. Grapping the container of hot water, she changed back into her male form, then went back out to find his ride.

"The things I do to earn a living. But if that guy's offer was legit, then this will be the last time."

The man was talking into his phone again.

"Yes sir...you'll be bringing out your limo? AND your fighters? Well, this certainly is a surprise...No sir, I'm sure he'll appreciate the thought..." he put the cell away once more, and headed back, looking for Ranma.

The man sighed.

'Now where is he?' he thought tapping his foot on the ground before spotting Ranma headed straight for him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Had to stop for some water."

The man smiled, a bit forced. "No problem...what's with this?" he asked, indicating Ranma's slightly wet clothing and hair. "Needed to cool down something bad, eh?" he chuckled.

"Uh.. yeah, somethin like that." Ranma whipped his brow and hoped that it wasn't too obvious that the water wasn't cold. "So are we ready?"

"Yes...my employer has his private jet ready for us...he keeps them handy for such occasions...it's stocked with a bar, refrigerator...all the basic amnenties...and he'll have his limo ready for us when we arrive..." he nodded, leading Ranma to a red sports car, a fancy American car if there ever was one.

"I hope you're driving cause I've never had a need to use of these," Ranma casually remarked.

"Heh...I would expect that...I hear you're a very fast runner..." the man returned, opening the passenger side door for Ranma. "After you, of course."

Ranma hoped in and pulled the door shut.

"Hey this thing ain't really American made is it?"

"Yes, it is...My boss had it flown in special..." the man grinned as he got in his side and started it up. The engine roared, and he added. "Nothing is too good for people such as yourself."

With that, he buckled his seat belt and started praying.

"Don't let this thing fall apart on us..."

"Ha! I see you have some sense of humor after all... Not to worry, I had inspected as soon as I brought it out of the lot before I came here...you can never be too careful, is out motto...along with watch out for crazy people...you'll see what I mean when we arrive in Southtown.." he laughed, as he pulled out of the parking space, and headed towards the nearest airport.

Ranma decided there was nothing that required his attention and so he quickly slipped into a meditative trance

Sitting on the runway was a sleek, expensive jet made of the finest materials known to man and with no corporate logos on it made it clear that it was a privately-owned vessel.

"Well, here we are, Ranma...These men will take care of the car, so we can board."

Ranma's eyes shot open and he exited

The man led the way and gestured to one of the padded leather seats.

"Kick back...put your feet up...have a drink, a snack, whatever you want...As I've said, nothing is too good..." he grins, as he stands there.

"Thanks but I'll pass on any drinks if it's all the same," he replied.

"Of course, whatever you want.." the man smiled, as a red light goes off over his head. "That means we are now ready to go. Might want to take a seat.." he sits himself, in one of the cushy chairs.

"Hey, after the plane's in the air, you mind if I do some kata?" Ranma fidgeted.

"Hmm, unusual request..but no, I don't mind...Occassionally, some of my employer's fighters do similar things...though they end up breaking something..." he said, crossing one leg over the other.

"Don't worry about that. I don't do what I can't control," he said with a hint of his usual confidence breaking through a rise of fear.

"Then by all means..." he gestured again, while looking at his watch.

After a few hours, the man was startled by the sound of his cell phone. He looked over at Ranma and spoke into it.

"Hello? Yes, sir...we've arrived...they're already out there? Good...no, no; the trip was rather pleasant...no sir, none of the bottles were broken this time...he was rather agreeable, unlike that last one..." he put the phone away again, and stood. "Well, we're here...Are you ready to go?" he asked, yawning and cracking his neck.

"Yeah. I'm ready. Lead the way," he commented as he stretched his neck from side to side.

"Good," he walked down the stairs they had set up and stood by the side of them, watching as the limo pulled up. "Here they are now.."

Ranma looked over the limo and wondered what sort of people could afford all that he'd seen so far. Then a second thought went through his mind.

'Does Nabiki have anything to do with this' he wondered. 'Wonder what she'd give to be here?'

The limo door opened, and a cursing voice could be heard.

"Bloody 'ell! Stay away fr'm my arm!" And a second, a more silky one.

"Can it, Billy! I'm still not happy about before!"

A blonde man wearing a black red and white bandanna on his head, his left arm in sling, and black jeans and muscle shirt exited, holding an extending staff in his right hand. There was a fierce scowl on his face and he looked back to see if his associate was coming.

Then another joined him, this one wearing a tight-fitting black sweater, white slacks, leather gloves, and dress shoes emerged. It looked like a man, but it was somewhat hard to tell with the long waist-length dark hair and thick bangs completely covering his' eyes and upper face. He was as tall as the other, but somewhat slender, and wasn't curved like a man in regards to his legs' and rear.

'American built fighter,' Ranma mused as he looked over the first one's muscle frame. 'The other... something feels off...'

He shook his head and decided he was imagining things. After all, not even Ukyo's chest bindings were that good.

"The blonde is Billy Kane, from England...the other was specially trained by my employer...Jotaru Ogami.." the man spoke to Ranma. "Billy was the holder of the title of King of Fighters until he was beaten by a man named Terry Bogard..."

"That's too bad," Ranma commented in an almost perfect English. "Sorry to say you won't be winning it back this year either."

"Eh...Well, we'll see..." Billy smirked. "We've got a few tricks left...like the gel here..."

This resulted in Billy getting an elbow to the stomach doubling him over.

"Can it, Kane."

"Bleedin'...git..." he gasped, hand on his stomach.

Ranma felt like teasing Billy for getting elbowed but decided he needed to know more about them and their roll in whatever operation he'd just been brought into. After that, he decided he'd test Billy's real talents.

"Get up, Billy, you're starting to look like an idiot again..." Jo sighed as 'he' helped Kane back up. "Stop picking fights...you still have that broken arm from Higashi, remember?"

"Yea, yea, blah blah blah.." Billy retorted as he stood, shaking off the other. "I got it now, luv."

"Higashi? Who's that?" Ranma wondered out loud. Billy looked at him.

"Joe Higashi...World's Champion Kickboxer...and general pain in the arse..." he said. "I went to invite a friend of the boss' brother to join us for some chit-chat, and the pyscho breaks me arm!" Jo sighed.

"He's been like this ever since..." 'he' added. Kane eyed 'him'.

"So besides Billy here being an exchamp, what are you two here for and what am I here for? Crowd control?" Jo gave Ranma a sour look.

"Actually, we're registered in the KoF, and were told by Geese-sama to meet you here, and to get a sense of your talents..."

"For instance...can you manipulate your ki?" 'he' added.

"Can I? Of course," he said with a grunt. In his right hand he casually formed a sphere of light.

"Good.." Jo smiled as 'he' held up 'his' hand, and formed a similar ball. "Many of the competitors have strange abilities, and some can use ki...others are more normal, yet are worthy opponents..."

"Good. I was hoping for an interesting time here."

"Yea, and we got cursed figh'ers too," Billy added, tapping his staff against the limo hubcap. "Like Jo here..." he added, smirking and dodging the backhand.

At that, Ranma gulped a bit too loud at the word cursed.

Billy continued. "'Er curse comes from 'er tainted blood...Orochi blood...'Ell, I can't stand those freaks..." he spat again, earning what looked like a glare, but was concealed by 'his' bangs. Then 'he' looked to Ranma.

"Why the odd reaction? Could it be that you yourself have run across such fighters?" 'he' asked.

"You could say that..." he said as he tried to act casual. This of course caused a reaction with the natural weather in Southtown causing a refreshing and yet odd sprinkle of water to fall from the heavens.

"Damn it!" a soaked Ranma-chan shouted as she shook her fist towards the heavens.

"Blah! What the bleedin' 'ell!" Billy cursed covering his head, then looking at Ranma. "Oh...'ell, looks like we got us an odd one again..." he commented. Jo moved some of 'his' hair aside, revealing a silver eye.

"What just happened?"

"Rrrr. Can I just get some hot water," Ranma-chan asked unhappily.

"I fink we got some in the limo...'Ey Jo, you wanna get it?" Billy said, as the other fighter began to get inside. Then, grinning, he slapped 'his' ass, prompting a very unmasculine shriek.

"KANE, YOU ARE SUCH A--AGH!"

"Jus' get that water already.." the Brit laughed. "I coudn' help myself."

"Damn Jusenkyo..." Ranma-chan mumbled, not paying attention to the antics of the other two. "Damn Pops... Damn contract..."

Jo handed a small flask to Billy and began blowing on 'his' hands.

"Nice breasts...you want 'em? 'Cause I know someone who needs 'em," he said casually, handing Ranma-chan the hot water.

"KANE!" Jo screamed at him, giving a rude hand gesture.

"I'd give them away if it was as simple as that," Ranma answered, unaware of the private joke going between Billy and Jo. Her mind was focused on pouring the hot water on herself and returning to male form.

"Ah...then I guess poor Jo will always be...inadequately equipped," Billy snickered, prompting Jo to emerge from the limo, glowing a shade of blue. "Ah...you might want to back away...she's gone off the deep end again..." Billy muttered, hefting his staff.

"So do you guys want to see any of my other abilities? Perhaps one that doesn't steal away my only remaining birthright?"

"Why not? I fink Jo 'ere needs to vent a lit'le anyway..." Billy shrugged, not taking his eyes off the Blooded Warrrior.

Ranma turned to the obviously fuming Jo and prepared himself. He could see the spiral of her energy already fully formed.

"Come at me at when you're ready," Ranma said with a gesture.

Jo raised one fist back, the energy building up around it, and screamed, "POWER WAVE!"

The ki blast streaked across the ground towards Ranma. Billy had the sense to run from Ground Zero and hide behind the limo, along with the man in the suit.

Ranma cupped his hand and shouted, "Moko Tashiba!"

The blast impacted with Jo's. Jo frowned as the two waves cancelled each other out. 'He' built up the ki in his right fist and jumped into the air, sailing towards Ranma. "BURN KNUCKLE!" 'He' cried, the ki bursting to life on his fist like a blazing torch as it neared his face. Ranma saw the spirals of heat increase and he knew he had to act fast or the blast would become to powerful. He turned his soul of ice up and unleased the opposing spiral.

"Hyruu Shoten HA!" the space between Ranma and Jo was filled with a massive twister that quickly engulfed Jo into it.

There was a loud scream, and another twister formed inside the first, which casued Jo to fly through the air.

'This...is gonna 'urt..' Billy winced as he watched her.

Ranma saw Jo wasn't falling corretly and realized he wasn'. He quickly lunged as fast as he could and grabbed Jo out of the air. 'He' wrapped his arms around Ranma's neck out of reflex and buried 'his' head in his neck, muttering about 'his' ankle.

'This guy's acting almost like Akane,' Ranma thought. 'Perhaps the Hyruu Shoten Ha was a bit too much for sparring.'

Billy sighed.

"She did it, again...busted 'er ankle in another fight she couldn' win," he propped his elbow on the roof of the car. "Geese...ain't gonna like this."

Ranma landed carefully and set Jo down.

"You ok?" Ranma asked Jo.

"Th-thank you," 'he' sighed, reaching down and pulling up the pant leg of 'his' slacks. "I broke my ankle again...Damnit...I should've waited 'till it had fully healed."

"Man, for a guy you sure do act a lot like a certain tomboy I used to know..." Suddenly something snapped. "No way, you're not.. I mean, you can't..."

Jo turned a deep red, only partly concealed by her bangs.

"Took ya long enough!" Billy called out to him.

He started to back away from Jo, his hands instinctively going up to defend himself.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked him, blinking her eyes as she removed her hand from her ankle.

Of course a this time, Ranma's mind decided it was time for a nap from all that hard thinking and shut down.

Jo managed to stand, and caught him as he fell. Of course, her ankle being the way it was, she fell back with him on top of her.

"Billy!" she called out, only to catch sight of the Brit laughing and taking a picture. "Jerk..."

"Aw...You two look so cute!" he laughed.

Ranma's eyes reopened and and he felt something odd. He looked down and saw Jo's face up close. Her face was beat red, making Ranma wonder why she was on top of him. Then he realized he was the one on top.

"Ah!" he shouted as he leaped off and on instinct began to look for Akane. "Oh yeah, she's in Japan..."

"Now what? You're not gonna pass out again are you? My ankle can't keep taking all the strain," she asked him, her face burning cutely. Billy was holding his sides, trying not to die from laughter.

"Nah man, I'm fine," he commented as he reached down to offer his help to Jo.

"Uh...you can stop calling me 'man', you know," she said as she took his hand.

"Sorry, just a habit," he stuttered.

"Don't worry...I'm not going to hit you or anything..." she smiled as she put an arm around his shoulder to lean against him. "I-I'm not really used to be female myself...I was raised to act like a man...and well...you may have noticed my chest, right?"

"Me notice? Why would I?" he sputtered. "I'm not some kind of pervert after all."

Sighing, she took his free hand and placed it over where her right breast would be. "Feel that?"

"What're you doing that for," he protested.

"Just FEEL it...I get embarrassed if I have to say it out loud..." she flushed. "I'm used to getting grabbed there...I AM a fighter, you know, and sometimes I go up against grapplers...and perverts...Not that you're a pervert, mind you..."

"Feels like a guys chest only less muscular," he commented as he started to calm down.

"That's...because...I...never..." she begins to whisper. She goes a deep crimson color. "...developed..."

"Oh..." Ranma would hear the hurt, but wasn't sure what to say. "Well, you never know. I've heard some just start later then others..."

"I'm...about...twenty-two..." she adds, going another shade of red. "I think it's a little late for me now...don't you?"

"Um... well,... I don't know. Never did well in biology class," he finally admitted.

"It's my blood...the curse...it causes each bearer to be...off...in some way..." she begins. "One man who used to work for Geese-sama...was a blood-thirsty psychopath...who you couldn't knock down. He was a tough fighter...and that was when he had one hand in his pocket. He was a lunatic."

"Another, turns into a man-demon, who only craves pain, and blood...it's a terrible thing to see...the way he lusts after battles, so he can spill blood..

"I...got stuck...with this..." she presses his hand against her chest again, and sighs, the red fading away. "Stupid Orochi blood..." she adds, loud enough for only him to hear.

"Did you say Orochi?" he asked remembering his battle with the eight headed creature.

"Yes...a God of Nothing, it called itself...it ruined the KoF a few times through its harbingers - like me - and by possessing people, so it could have human form and spread it's influence..." she nodded. "I think it was some kind of ancient demon god-thing...I wasn't around at the time, since I was being trained to control my blood's taint..."

"I once fought the Orochi in an attempt to save a boy's life..." his voice trailed off. "What of it's blood?"

"It...spread its blood through humans...giving them its power...I'm one of them...it gives us enhanced powers beyond what we normally have...and alters us in terms of appearance, attitude, and desires...for some...it turns them into demonic beasts...that only resemble humans..." she said quietly. "The transformed state is different, and also affects our techniques...the ones I used in our spar, for example, become at least three times stronger, and can overwhelm an unexperienced fighter...But, I can tell that you're much better than that..." Ranma however wasn't listening and had gone ghost white as his mind was stuck on the battle with the orochi. His skin had been cut several times and the orochi's too. He'd stood in one of the mouth trying to pry it open as the orochi blood ran down his arms and into the open wounds.

"Don't worry...if you came in contact with it...it wouldn't be as bad as with me..." she smiled. "I was born with it...you may have received some power...but not enough that you'd become one of its freaks.."

"You don't understand," Ranma started. "Ever since I was born, things for me have been different. Nothings ever been normal..."

"I see..." she said quietly. "Well, I think you also have to accept the blood's power...that's how it used to work... Anyway...You want to take a look around our city...there's this bar, where we can get some rooms...Billy and I share one there...alternately, of course... he didn't know about me until this morning..." she says, smiling a little wryly.

"Sounds good. Let's go," Ranma said replied. "I could use a real nap after all this."

"And we can talk more there...and not on this runway.."

"Yeah, we probably should talk. It'd be good for you guys to know more about me and I'd like to know a bit more about this tournament."

"You two finis'ed yet?" Billy called out from the inside of the limo, his camera tucked into his pocket.

"Yeah we're done," Ranma commented. As he passed by Billy, he made sure to relieve him of a certain item. As he stepped another few feet away, he lifted it in the air so that Billy could see it.

"'Ey! Give that back!" the Brit brandished his staff.

"Billy...chill..." Jo urged him.

"That was a gift from my baby sis, I'll 'ave you know!" he shot back.

"And why were you taking pictures of us?" Ranma politely asked as the camera in question rested in his hand.

"Well, I needed sumthin' to 'ave a good laugh at...what wif all the faces you made.." he snickered.

"Just take the film out, and give him the thing...otherwise he'll start on about he got involved with Geese, and then we'll be here for hours." Jo whispered to Ranma.

Ranma carefully directed a the soul of ice into camera and he felt the heat slowly drain from the film. Seconds later, when he was sure he'd done the job right, he tossed the camera back.

"Enjoy."

"Feh..you're no fun, you know that? Way too serious. Now get in...before I make you two walk t' the bar.." he fumed, grabbing the camera and tucking it in his pocket.

"Thanks, Ranma," Jo winced as she tested her ankle. "I still can't walk on it yet..."

"Here," Ranma said as he offered her some support.

"Thanks.." she smiled gratefully as she managed to get inside. Billy rolled his eyes and helped her lie get inside. Not very helpfully, of course, seeing as how he was still annoyed with her.

"Get over 'ere, so she can rest," he said, changing his seat.

Ranma helped her to her seat and made sure she got in ok before taking a seat of his own.

"Good...driver! Th' bar! You know which one..."

After a somewhat short drive, the three were standing in front of a bar. Billy opened the door, and led them up the stairs to the bedroom in question.

"Jus' set 'er down wherever," he said, a bit sourly. Jo looked over at Billy with a glare and spoke.

"So...tell us a bit about yourself first, and then we'll answer any questions you got. That sound good?" she asked him, her bangs shielding her eyes again.

"What do you want to hear first? How my dad made my life hell or how my own fiancé helped drive the last nail into my coffin?" he asked sarcastically, once again forgetting to watch his mouth.

"Jeez...I just asked a simple question..." Jo sniffled, her lower lip trembling. Billy groaned and covered his ears.

"Now look w'at you've done..." he groaned.

"Anyways...what d'you mean by all that?" he continued. Jo sniffled a bit more, and nodded.

"I'm sorry about that. Well it happened when I was young..." Ranma started off with the hundreds of times his father sold him off to the various training techniques that he put him through. From there he speed up through the various battles, fiancé fights, and other things that seemed to happen. He finally came to a halt with one name. "Saffron, the God of Fire. He'd be dead now if he wasn't a God. As it is, he simply reverted back to a childlike state."

"Bleedin' 'ell...you sure 'ad one 'elluva time!" the Brit whistled.

Jo nodded silently again, drying her eyes. "Sorry about that sniffling thing...My ankle...you know how it is.." she shrugged it off, checking it again.

"I really am sorry bout what I said. I just dont stop to think sometimes before I speak. I think I'd like to lay down now," Ranma asked.

Billy nodded. "Use the room - but I ain't dragging 'er with me...she stays roight 'ere to watch you. Me...I'm gettin' a drink."

"Whatever," Ranma said with a shrug. 'How any serious fighter can drink is beyond me...' 


End file.
